How Airbus Preps Jets to Handle the Body Heat From 300 Passengers

Photo: Airbus

How do you test the effects of hundreds of passengers toiling away in their seats on a 12-hour flight? For Airbus, you rig up hundreds of feet of tubes and fill them with heated water to mimic the human body.

The A350 XWB is Airbus’ answer to the Boeing 787, complete with carbon fiber fuselage and wings–a first for a passenger jet. And to avoid the issues that have plagued the Dreamliner, Airbus is in the process of testing four prototype A380 “eXtra-wide” planes. And part of that testing involves the just-revealed interior.

The humanoid pipes sitting in the seats are filled with water that’s adjusted to simulate the body temperature of a cabin full of people. Airbus heats them with between 70 watts to 160 watts of power, with 90 watts being used to represent the average passenger’s body heat. If the cabin’s climate system and seat materials hold up after a simulated overseas trip, the interior is ready to go.

Photo: Airbus

For the A350 XWB, Airbus clearly added some comfort features in its latest flagship. In coach, each seat is 18 inches wide, even with a nine-abreast layout, and made by top-tier supplier Recaro, the same company that builds seats for racers and hip-hugging passenger cars.

For all the computer monitors and sensors, there’s not much guarantee that you’ll be a happier passenger. Airbus, like all airplane manufacturers, leaves the seat layout to the discretion of the airlines. So Qatar Airways–the A350 XWB’s launch partner–can divvy up the 18.4 foot-wide cabin as it sees fit. Hopefully, Airbus’s generous berth will be left intact when it reaches production.

When the final versions are completed, the A350 XWB will come in three versions, each holding between 276 and 369 seats. Airbus currently has 812 orders for the new plane, with Qatar Airways planning to send the A350 XWB on its maiden flight later this year.